Neal Palles, LCSW, CMPC

The Power of Willingness Carrying Discomfort in the Service of What Matters

New substack up discussingthe power of willingness to open up to discomfort coloradoathletemind.substack.com/p/the-power-...

Where the separate divisions of ANTIFA landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944:

This is the playbook, folks.

If you're not paying attention now and doing something about it, then you're going to have to sit down the rest of your life because democracy is being taken away.

Do not be quiet in this moment.

Rest Days and Racing Thoughts When Stillness Feels Unsafe

New post up at Substack: coloradoathletemind.substack.com/p/rest-days-...

Years ago I was shamed by supervisors for questioning the status quo. F- that. If you’re selling a technique in therapy, mental performance or exercise science I want to see the research. I want to see a meta-analysis rather than anecdotal data. Rant over.

We just wanted to take a moment to thank all our new supporters! Tomorrow, there will be more of us!

Breaking Free from Perfectionism: How Runners Can Unhook from Self-Judgment — Colorado Psychotherapy and Sport Performance Perfectionism is sneaky. It disguises itself as high standards, motivation, and discipline. For many runners, perfectionism becomes a mental trap that leads to self-judgment, avoidance, and burnout in...

New blog up digging into perfectionism in running coloradopsychotherapyandsport.com/blog/2025/3/...

FYI. Angers me to see all of this.

Why is a neuroscientist advising on dietary supplements? Because he sells them, endorses them, and is sponsored by them. 💰💰💰

Do you know who doesn't endorse supplements? Qualified nutritionists and dietitians—because most supplements don't work.

Dear therapist coach- no, I’m not joining Alma especially when I see it’s a paid partnership of yours…

It is mind boggling. Sorry, this is what you signed up for.

Cover image of Sports Re-Illustrated, sponsored by Dove. Image of a young girl who wrestles, standing on a wrestling mat.

Sports Re-Illustrated.
I had the opportunity to interview 5 girls finding their voices, self esteem, and confidence in sports—for a special section (sponsored by Dove) of the Sports Illustrated Super Bowl issue. They play football and basketball, run track, and more.
www.si.com/sports.../do...

You don’t act on all your thoughts. You have a choice on how you respond.

Learned a lot talking to hundreds of mental health providers and their clients over the years…

So many times I wish I listened. The signs are always there.

Too often therapists and coaches introduce themselves by the technique, magic wand or magic potion they use. Before I refer to you I want to know what kind of person you are. I want to know you.

Trying to grow my Bluesky community 🦋 Algorithm, please connect me with endurance athletes who care about human rights and democracy, and are interested in performance and injury prevention tips 🤗 Comment below if this is you, so I can follow!

So grateful to work with a group of amazing coaches that I can learn from. Just blown away. Love my jobs.

Grateful for my best new habit of the year - putting my phone in another room at bedtime = SLEEP

Yessssss!

Goals for the Long Haul — Colorado Psychotherapy and Sport Performance Ever try to set a time-bound goal and you run out of time? Yea, me too. That’s a common problem with setting goals with time as a guide. Here are some of my thoughts on the goal setting process and ...

Ever set a time bound goal and get super frustrated because you just ran out of time? Yea, me too. I share some of my thoughts here on setting goals for the haul:
www.coloradopsychotherapyandsport.com/blog/2025/1/20/goals-for-the-long-haul

Stay strong. For us, this is more than just a job-it’s a calling. Together, we will stand to protect our parks, environment, and wildlife. Four years… we remain hopeful that the attack on our public lands will be less brutal this time.

It’s winning but we can change that. Good stuff from @stevemagness.bsky.social

Officially certified. Absolutely stoked. Next part of the journey at ColoradoPsychotherapyandSport.com #athletementalhealth #mentalperformance

Just a little out of reach will go a long ways.

Decreasing our effort is a form of protection.

It gives our ego a break. Allowing us to say "I had more left in the tank" or "If I tried harder I would have won."

Giving everything you have exposes yourself. Makes you come face to face with how good you are in that moment.

Ecological grief is a very real thing that a lot of people are experiencing for the first time. Loss is loss, whether it's people, places, pets, or meaningful possessions. Grieving is a life-long process, and unfortunately many of us are going to face this variety at some point in our lives.

Feeling sluggish & tired from training? Here's my recovery strategies:
- ⬆️ Sleep + Nap
-Protein: Hits spread out throughout the day + big dose before bed -> ⬆️ protein synthesis
- Slow down: Easy + strides
-Splash around in the pool
-Eat more quality food
-Hang out with friends